310 ST. MARK’S REST

by every comer who is desirous of taking any real interest in the building.

The reader, then, who proposes to make use of the present guide can, by reference to the following list, see at a glance the subjects with which these mosaics deal, and the order in which his attention will be directed to them. They are, in addition to the altar-piece, these:-

I..The Life of St. John the Baptist

II.The Infancy of Christ.

III.St. Nicholas.

IV.The Four Evangelists.

V.The Four Saints.

VI.The Greek Fathers.

VII.The Latin Fathers.

VIII.Christ and the Prophets.

IX.Christ and the Apostles.

X.Christ and the Angels.

134. The subject of the altar-piece is the Crucifixion. In the centre is Christ on the cross, with the letters IC. XC on either side. Over the cross are two angels, veiling their

however, very rare, but the latter is readily obtainable, and with it the church can be thoroughly read. M. Pasini, however, at least in his account of the Baptistery (pp. 219 seq.), does not attempt to classify or connect the subjects of the mosaics, but goes regularly round the walls, taking each as it comes, and thus losing half their real interest.¹

¹ [Note by Mr. Wedderburn to the edition of 1894. For the full title of Meschinello’s book (1753-1754), see Vol. X. p. li. Another, and the most important, publication on the subject must now be added-the sumptuous work published by Signor Ongania of Venice under the direction of Camillo Boito-La Basilica di San Marco in Venezia, illustrata nella storia e nell arte da scrittori Veneziani. The part of the work dealing with mosaics and inscriptions is by Signor Boni. See also P. Saccardo’s Saggio d’uno studio storico artistico sopra i mosaici della Chiesa di San Marco, Venezia, 1864; I restauri della Basilica di San Marco nell’ ultimo decennio, Venezia, 1900; and Les Mosaiques de la Basilique de Saint Marc à Venise, Venise, 1894. Also, for reproductions of the mosaics, Mosaici non compresi negli spaccati geometrici nell’ interno della Basilica di San Marco in Venezia, disegnati dal vero e pubblicati da Gio. Luigia Kreutz, Venezia, 1885; and Dr. A. Robertson’s The Bible of St. Mark (George Allen, 1898).]

[Version 0.04: March 2008]